Author: Ekaterine Vachnadze

Kazakhstan rose from 88th to 79th place out of 121 countries in the 2023 Global Soft Power Index by Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy, according to the company’s report The ranking was announced on March 2 at Brand Finance’s Global Soft Power Summit in London, where delegates discussed the role of soft power in international politics and business. “This annual report into Soft Power covers the ability to influence others through attraction or persuasion rather than coercion. It encompasses a wide range of tools, including business and trade, governance, international relations, culture and heritage, media and…

Television is the most popular medium although online media are gaining ground as news sources. Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) operates two TV networks. The leading commercial station, Rustavi-2, was a strong critic of the Georgian Dream-led government until a change of ownership in 2019. Foreign channels are available on satellite and cable, including Russian networks. The press carries a broad range of viewpoints but reader numbers are low and reporting tends towards sensationalism. The media environment is among the freest in the former Soviet sphere. The constitution provides for freedom of speech and journalists often criticise officials. US-based Freedom House…

For Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion of their country, the railway to Przemysl is a lifeline. Every day for almost a year, trains have been pulling into Platform 5 carrying families from Ukraine to Poland, from war to safety and peace. The carriages are far less crowded than in the earliest, panic-filled days, but the refugees are still coming. This week, many said they were driven by fear that Vladimir Putin will mark the first anniversary of his war by ordering a new, deadly offensive. Olga and her family spent one and a half months under Russian occupation when the war…

Georgian law enforcement officers have arrested 62 individuals for drug crimes, including 46 who have been charged with drug trafficking, with the group including both Georgian and foreign citizens. The Interior Ministry said on Tuesday the “large-scale” operation had covered eight Georgian cities, including capital Tbilisi, and added that along with Georgian citizens, Jordanian and Latvian nationals had been arrested for sale and attempted sale of drugs, and also charged with preparing the crime. Law enforcement officers recording offenders per the court’s permission. Video: Interior Ministry press office. Police have seized batches of heroin, cocaine, alpha PVP, buprenorphine, ecstasy, methadone,…